Jail likely for car joy rider

Last updated 16:00 27/11/2012

Relevant offers

A recidivist offender was caught taking a car for a joy-ride after he hooted the horn while driving away from the property he took it from, police say.

Daniel Jade Cook, who has never had a driver's licence, was caught about 3.40am on November 22 after crashing a car he took for a joy-ride in the early hours of the morning and then taking another car.

In the Blenheim District Court yesterday, Cook admitted two charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, one charge of driving while forbidden and a charge of stealing a bicycle, which was an unrelated incident.

Judge Richard Russell said Cook, who was on release conditions from a prison sentence this year, had 66 previous convictions and had been to prison more than 14 times. He remanded Cook in custody to be sentenced on February 4.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Harris said when police caught Cook in the second car, he said he had gone out looking for cars to take for a cruise.

Cook took a $500 bicycle from a house on Scott St on November 10 and rode it for a week, Mr Harris said.

Defence lawyer Rennie Gould said Cook could not remember much from the night he took the cars as he had taken pills. He had not been drinking, but wanted to re-engage with drug and alcohol counselling.

Judge Russell said Cook was described by probation as a recidivist offender with a sense of entitlement and was a high risk of reoffending. It was likely he would be sent back to prison.